Memory, or RAM, is the oil that makes your computer run smoothly. It is used in every operation your computer performs, from simply pressing the mouse button to running complex game graphics. It is also one of the most cost-effective and affordable investments in upgrading to your computer, producing both subtle and profound improvements on hundreds of daily processes, applications and tasks. If you work with digital media of any kind such as image manipulation, video and audio recording and production, and CAD (computer aided design) then having ample memory is essential to enable your computer to work at its best. It's not just these processes that rely on your computer's memory - desktop publishing, databases and all other manner of programs use their quota of memory to run.
Gamers also know the importance of running as much memory as possible - as games develop as an astounding rate in terms of polygons, framerate, textures, physics engines and general on-screen action, gamers skill and responsiveness is limited by how fast their computer is able to process the data. Most graphics cards such as nVidia and ATI offer dedicated graphics memory and although this takes some of the strain off the RAM, most serious gamers still invest in the best memory their computer can take. Check out our memory upgrade guide - full of hints and tips about buying and installing more RAM.
Why upgrade your memory?
It happens to the best of us. After staring at the box longingly in your car you've finally got home and pulled the shrinkwrap from your new game or program. You toss the novice manual to the floor and with a great amount of reverence place the disc in your computer. So far so good - the auto-install box pops up and you click the sequence of Next buttons impatiently, slightly embaressed at being forced to retrieve the manual to find the installation serial key. The progress bar progresses jerkily and waits a disproportionately long time on the final bit. You keep your cool in the knowledge it will be worth it. There... you're done!
But something isn't working the way it should... You read the back of the box - you don't have enough memory to meet the minimum requirements.
If your computer has been dragging its heels a bit lately, it could be time to upgrade your memory. Memory is one of those things that you really become aware of when you don't have enough. Here are some of the telltale signs that you need to upgrade your RAM:
- Programs and games crash
- Games are jerky, sluggish and unresponsive
- Your computer slows down when you run many programs at the same time
- Any number of error messaging pertaining to memory and virtual memory
- Imaging, CAD, video, modelling and sound applications take forever to import, export or apply filters - especially when you have multiple projects open at the same time
Some programs and applications use a lot of memory...
- Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Fireworks and the rest of the Creative Suite family
- Rich graphic games such as Bioshock, Oblivion, Crysis and Call of Duty 4
- Databases that process and exchange a lot of data
- Video editing and post-production software
- Audio recording, mixing and production applications
Finding compatible memory
Computer memory (otherwise known as RAM) comes in many different speeds and sizes so always check your computer's exisiting memory first before buying any new modules or your computer might not even boot up properly! There are four major things to be aware of when buying new memory to upgrade our RAM. Here's the low-down on the techie jargon...
Before anything else you need to determine the type of memory currently in your computer. It comes in many flavours, DDR, DDR II, DD III etc. Unless you're into your tech specs it's not necessary to know the difference, only that your computer will support a specific type and that's one type you need. Laptop memory is also different from standard PC RAM.
The most common metric of memory is size in GigaBytes GB, or less impressively MegaBytes MB, and it's a definate case of bigger is better. The more RAM your computer has, the less it needs to read and write to the main hard drive during games and applications. Memory generally comes in 256 MB, 512 MB and 1 GB (which is 1024MB) and with most computer motherboards having 3 or 4 memory slots, it's possible to have up to 4GB firing your system. A word of warning however, if you're running a 32bit Windows operating system then you can only actually use a maximum of 3GB.
Quite simply this is how fast a module of memory can communicate with your computer. Sometimes called Bus Clock Rate, it's measured in MegaHertz and the most common clock speeds are 667 MHz, 533 MHz, 400 MHz, and 333 MHz. A general rule of thumb is the bigger the number, the faster and better your memory but if you're just adding more memory then it's a safe bet to buy exactly the same clock speed of your current memory. Dedicated memory for gamers can be be ridiculously fast in order to fuel their appetite for intense frag action and explosive physics. You are limited in speed by your motherboard so investing in super fast memory will be of no use if your motherboard is a standard office model. Another word of warning - fast clock speeds incur more latency (see below) much to the frustration of high-spec gamers; there are hundreds of website you can visit to get more information on this, and a good article here which is still relevant despite being published in 2005.
You could think about memory latency as people working at a drive-thru restaurant; you place your order then wait for the food to be ready. The lower the timings are, the faster the computer (and quicker your order comes) is able to get data from the memory, and the faster the rest of the PC will ultimately be. Unless you are investing in specialised, dedicated memory for serious game enthusiasts then don't worry too much about latency.
Checking your computer's exisiting memory
So much for a memory upgrade guide... you thought there was just once kind of memory and now you're even more confused! But wait and we'll show you how to identify the memory you need. There are a few things you'll need to do...
How to check how much memory you currently have installed.
Go to your Control Panel and open System (shortcut: hold Windows key and press Pause/Break) to bring up the System Properties. Under the General tab it will tell you how much RAM you currently have e.g. 1.00 GB of RAM.
How to check the type and speed of memory you currently have installed.
Your motherboard manual will tell you the type and maximum clock speed of memory you can install. Do you have your motherboard manual don't you?
There's no easy way to do this... You'll need to open the case of your computer. Unplug your computer first, and if you're particularly worried about static electricity frying your computer you can earth yourself with an antistatic wristband. Unscrew the little screws on the back and the casing should slide off easily. Pushing the cables aside you will see the motherboard onto which are connected all manner of cables and things, and somewhere there will be one or more small, thin chipboards sticking up. This is your memory.
On either side of these memory modules are two little levers which you will need to press down before lifting out one of the chips. The size, speed and memory type will usually be printed on the memory module somewhere, either on a label or directly onto one of the black chips. An alternative is to install a program like SiSoftware Sandra - a powerful application that scans your entire system and tells you everything you ever wanted to know about what is inside your computer.
Scribble down these details and you're now armed with the information you need to go shopping. Get a cup of tea and spend some time on microwarehouse.co.uk looking at computer memory. Down the right hand side of the screen are helpful options to filter the results by size, type and speed.
Installing memory
There's some important things to keep in mind when buying and installing memory, the main one being that it's not a good idea to install two sticks of memory with different clock speeds - your system will usually run at the speed of the slowest memory module, and in some circumstances your computer will refuse to boot up. Mixing sizes is fine however, you can have both a 1GB and two 512MB running at the same time to a combined memory of 2GB.
Secondly, you can't run more than 3GB if your computer runs a 32bit version of Windows which is a fair assumption unless you have specifically purchased a 64bit version.
Thirdly, your memory clock speed is limited to the speed your motherboard front-bus. Check your manual, or visit the motherboard manufacturer's website if in any doubt. If you're not sure, then it's a safe bet to buy exactly the same clock speed of your current memory.
So, let's install your new memory module...
Unplug the computer, earth yourself and open the case as described earlier. Now pay special attention to the little notch cut out along the bottom edge of your new memory - it will only fit one way into the slot on the motherboard. Make sure the side levers are open, push your memory in firmly and close the levers to secure it. Put the case back on, tighten the screws and plug it back in.
That's it - you're done. Don't forget to remove the earth cable from your wrist before you try and leave the room!
Small Print: You take full responsibility for any actions involving opening up your computer - doing so may void your warranty. To avoid electrocuting yourself, breaking your computer, voiding any warranties etc. we advise you to seek further professional advice with regards to installing memory upgrades. You install any software solely at your own risk, and we advise you to scan it with a virus scanner before using. Memory technology evolves regularly and some information contained in this memory guide may no longer be relevant to your particular computer (if you spot something that needs updating, feel free to use this contact form to let us know.)
